Kyiv mayor: Ukraine faces major problems finding soldiers

Ukraine is facing serious difficulties in recruiting soldiers as young people flee the country, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

In an interview with POLITICO, Klitschko acknowledged that nearly four years of war have severely weakened Ukraine’s ability to replenish its army ranks, Caliber.Az reports.

He said Russian forces continue their relentless assaults, describing them as “like a computer game — they just keep coming, they don’t care about fallen soldiers.”

The mayor warned that Ukraine is experiencing “huge problems with human resources,” as record numbers of men flee to Europe.

According to him, a government decree issued in August allowing men aged 18 to 22 to leave the country has coincided with a surge in Ukrainians seeking temporary protection across the EU — more than 79,000 in September alone, the highest monthly figure in two years, with sharp increases in Germany and Poland.

Under current rules, mobilisation begins at 25, but Klitschko suggested lowering the threshold to 22 or 23 to mitigate the shortage.

He said that while Ukraine has successfully defended itself for almost four years, the imbalance between Ukraine’s manpower and Russia’s numerical advantage is becoming increasingly severe. He added that millions of Ukrainians are currently abroad, and the country’s future depends on whether the population outflow will stop once peace is restored.

“We would be happy if half of the younger people come back, but for that, we need peace, jobs and a good quality of life,” he concluded, adding that after the war, Ukraine faces huge challenges.

By Jeyhun Aghazada